Fifa apologises as England fans complain of ticket struggle

Fifa has apologised after fans complained of an hours-long queue and system crashes during the latest World Cup sales phase.

England fans said they struggled to get hold of the limited allocation of tickets for games including the potentially crunch clash with Belgium in Kaliningrad on June 28.

A spokesman for football’s governing body and the tournament organisers Fifa said there had been “huge demand worldwide” for tickets and there were some cases where it was “taking a bit longer” in the first-come, first-serve system.

We apologise to those who've had difficulties purchasing tickets today. We've noted the many messages & fully understand your frustrations.

We've been informed that the issues relate to the sheer volume of fans accessing the ticketing platform. We thank you for your patience.

Jasmin Pearce, from Devon, said she first got in the queue on Tuesday morning and, after missing a chance when she was away from her computer in the afternoon, was still waiting for another opportunity.

She said: “Trying to get World Cup tickets was potentially the most stressful ticket experience.

“(I) just got in the queue at 7am this morning and finally got through at 2.50pm, however I was away from the computer so actually missed the tickets.

“So (I’m) back in the queue now. Was hoping for England v Belgium but anything really.

“Just annoying waiting, wouldn’t mind not getting tickets but would have liked to have known this morning.

“Never had trouble like this before and I have gone to a lot of music events where tickets sell out immediately.”

Trying to get World Cup Tickets was potentially the most stressful ticket experience, all started so well and then crashed at 3mins to go…

The Fifa World Cup account tweeted: “We apologise to those who’ve had difficulties purchasing tickets today. We’ve noted the many messages & fully understand your frustrations. We’ve been informed that the issues relate to the sheer volume of fans accessing the ticketing platform. We thank you for your patience.”

A short time later, it added: “We really are sorry that problems have been persisting. For those who have had issues relating to charged payments, please fill out our ticketing enquiry form and your issue will be addressed as soon as possible

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